Photo: Jelle Versaevel/Shutterstock
We started this hike in the early afternoon. After about an hour hiking mostly uphill, we arrived at the teahouse. Thirsty as a whale, we searched for an empty table but had no luck. We took in the incredible views of Lake Louise and rested a bit on a nearby stone. Then we refilled our drinking bottles and started the descent.
Photo: Riley Schutz Photography/Shutterstock
On the way back to Banff we decided to stop at Horseshoe Lake. We had passed it on our way to Jasper but there were already too many cars to our liking. Now on the other hand, we were the only ones there. But we quickly learned why there weren’t any people around. While hiking around the lake, we were attacked by mosquitos. We ended up running the trail instead of hiking and we were happy to get back to the parking lot. Don’t forget the bug spray or go in the early morning for a tourist- and bug-free time.
Photo: Maddy M/Shutterstock
Hoping for a hiking trail that wasn’t overrun by tourists, we drove to Parker Ridge early. We weren’t the only at 9 a.m, but, on the hike itself, we were constantly by ourselves.
Photo: CreatingEzra/Shutterstock
We knew Peyto Lake would be busy by 10 am so we woke up at 6 am and started driving immediately. We arrived by 8 am and were lucky to find only one other couple there. So we took plenty of time to marvel at this beautiful turquoise lake.
Photo: kavram/Shutterstock
It was late in the afternoon when we visited the falls and the sun was blistering hot. We tried to get as close as possible to get some of the refreshing mist on our faces.
Photo: Sean Xu/Shutterstock
We rented a bright red Fiat 500 to drive around the Canadian Rockies. They might be small, but they are great for driving on this scenic road. Along the way, we saw a coyote crossing and a grizzly bear munching on some berries.
Photo: adrenalinerushdiaries/Shutterstock
Before the hike we saw a few signs saying it’s best to bring something warm when walking up to the glacier, but it was too hot outside to even think about wearing a sweater. Besides, we thought that the cold winds up there would do us good. It was ice cold at the top and because we had nothing to protect us from the strong winds, we stayed for 5 minutes and rushed back to the car. Lesson learned.
Photo: Tyler Olson/Shutterstock
Canoeing on Moraine Lake sounded like a great idea. So we woke up early again to beat the tourists and started driving. Only, we were too early to go canoeing. Sleep in a little more.
Photo: bunlee/Shutterstock
While driving to the lake, it started to rain. So we waited on the parking lot to let the rain pass. We had about 15 minutes of sun before the clouds rolled in again. We took this time to explore a bit of the area around the lake, hoping to spot some wildlife.
Photo: Robert Bohrer/Shutterstock
Mistaya Canyon wasn’t on our itinerary, but when we drove by we decided to stop to check it out. It’s amazing to see how the water shaped the rocks around it over the years. 